DESERET NEWS, Dec. 2, 1982: At 5 a.m. Thursday the announcement came.
The Jarvik 7, Utah's artificial heart, was pumping in the chest of Barney B. Clark, a 61-year-old dentist from the Seattle suburb of Des MoinesAt that point, the mechanical device had sustained his life for 50 minutes. As the morning ticked away, the news remained the same. The long-awaited human test of the artificial heart appeared headed for success . . .
Over a period of three months, the media frenzy surrounding the first permanent artificial heart implantation did not abate. Several crises kept the story always on the front burner. After 112 days on the device, Dr. Clark died. The artificial heart did not live up to the initial predictions, but it paved the way for additional research leading to better alternatives.